"Christopher Campbell" wrote in message
e.com...
On Thu, 21 Dec 2006 09:50:39 -0800, Gig 601XL Builder wrote
(in article ):


"Christopher Campbell" wrote in message
e.com...
On Thu, 21 Dec 2006 06:41:18 -0800, Gig 601XL Builder wrote
(in article ):

PILOT CHARGED WITH MANSLAUGHTER AFTER FATAL CRASH

How terribly unfortunate.

Unfortunate for who? If you mean the passengers (assuming they A. Didn't
know he didn't have a license and B. Didn't know he was drunk) or all the
legally licensed, safely aviators out there who have what we do lessened
somewhat in the eyes of the general public then I agree.

If you mean for that asshole then well...



Flying without a license did not kill his passengers, any more than flying
without a flight plan kills anyone. Having a license does not make you a
better pilot.

There are guys who have flown for many years without a license, even
filing
and flying IFR in multi-engine aircraft. I do not approve of breaking the
law, of course, but I have been around long enough to know that someone
who
is flying illegally may not be any more dangerous than those who are
flying
legally.

Drunk, of course, is another matter.

I think there is something wrong with charging a guy with murder because
he
did not have a piece of paper from the government. Charging someone with
murder for flying without a license is pure vindictiveness -- punishment
for
daring to defy governmental authority. It is not any more dangerous to fly
without a license than with one. You should only be charged for murder if
reckless behavior led to a death. I have no problem with charging him with
murder if he was drunk.




Well they said he had been drinking so I would assume they took that into
account. But in these United States and most other countries you are not
assumed to be capable of safely commanding an aircraft unless you have a
little card from the government that says so. So since charging someone with
manslaughter is a legal matter you are going to have to take whether or not
he was legally qualified to do what he was doing when the folks in his care
got killed. According to the story he NEVER had a certificate so this is not
a case where a guy lost his medical because his BP was too high.